I wrote this in Human Events on September 2:
A Muslim girl sits for Pledge of Allegiance. A non-Muslim girl asks her why she doesn't act proud to be an American. Guess who got suspended.
It happened last week in Spring Hill, Florida: Heather Lawrence, a 16-year-old girl who plans to join the U.S. Army, was suspended for five days for insulting her hijab-wearing, seated classmate who refused to stand for the Pledge. This angered Heather, she said, since "our flag represents everything that our country is....You know, I made a not-so-kind remark, and I do sincerely apologize for referring to the thing on her head because that had nothing to do with it. But I told her, 'Why don't she act like she's proud to be an American?'"
I also wrote about this incident here. But then school officials said Heather Lawrence was lying and could not have seen the Muslim girl sitting for the pledge, as they were not even in the same room during the Pledge. So I noted that in an update to that same post, and that was that.
Except it wasn't. Mark Lawrence, Heather Lawrence's father, has asked me to post this message. He says that Heather did see the girl sitting, because she was on her way to the office with the day's attendance, and that school officials are now engaged in a coverup:
My name is Mark Lawrence - Heather's Dad. Heather left her homeroom to take the attendance to the office. This has been verified thru other students in Heather's homeroom. The Muslim girl was seated on at least 2 separate days during the Pledge. This has been verified thru other students also. Teachers have been told not to talk about this incident with the media. Students have been threatened not to talk about this incident with the press. The school changed their story from "the girl has the right not to stand during the Pledge" on Friday to "the girl was standing during the Pledge" on Monday morning.This is an attempt at damage control by the school to remove the blame from the administration. The problem is they are doing this at the expense of my daughter. They have labeled her a liar and have tarnished her credibility. Please help me support my daughter and restore her reputation. Please encourage students and teachers to contact me and discuss what really happened at school that day. I have several reporters who want to document the truth and are willing to protect the identity of eye witnesses. Once these witnesses come forward the school will have to admit their smear campaign was nothing more than a poor attempt to divert attention from the administration at the expense of my daughter.
Help support a 16-year-old girl who is patriotic and deserves to have her name cleared. It is wrong for a school (teachers/principles/school board members) to pass blame onto a 16-year-old because they do not want to admit they are at fault. Is this what we want our children to learn in a public school? We as parents and adults have a moral responsibility to make sure those who are entrusted in teaching our children right from wrong, are accountable themselves to tell the truth. Read between the lines on the news the school has released. Do you really think a suspension would be reduced if Heather was lying?
Encourage students and teachers to contact me and do the right thing! Thank you.
This is shameful; making out a 16-year old as a liar, and an "islamophobe" to boot, all because the adults don't want to take responsibility. Nothing to see here; move on....
P.S. I wasn't ready for the new look, but I like it!
However, the navigation buttons where you could go to the next or previous story directly after reading comments in the current story need to return!
My advice to all parents who have kids in the Spring Hill schools: Tell your kids that the next time they see, or hear of, Mohamedina remaining seated during the Pledge, they should stay seated too, If the school authorities threaten reprisals, threaten them right with charges of racism.
p.s. this new format is awful; go back to the old one!
So where did my comment go?
"...I do sincerely apologize for referring to the thing on her head because that had nothing to do with it..." -- quote from Heather Lawrence.
But, of course, it really does have something to do with "the thing on her head" as Heather perhaps not-so-diplomatically referred to the hijab.
I salute Heather's father for standing up for his daughter, and for exposing the actual facts in the case and the disgraceful behavior of the school administration. At the very least the school owes a public apology to Heather. Since it is the school board that is ultimately responsible for condoning the administrative outrages such as this, they should issue a public rebuke to the administrator who suspended Heather.
where are the comments going?
I've tried 3 times to post a comment, maybe doing it as a "reply" will work!
Testing reply system...
I believe Heather and her Dad. The school Administration is afraid of being un-PC concerning Mohammedans. That's obvious.
From my above commetns, one can see that I was having trouble with this new system. I tried posting my comment three times, and itwouldn't "take". Now I see that it finally worked at least once. As did my comments on the new system.
I also note that on the new system, the blog doesn't fit on the screen. It overlaps, and one must scroll back and forth to see it all. Not what I'd call an improvement.
Dear Mr. Lawrence,
I am saddened that your daughter had to go through this, and I agree that your conclusion is correct. The school is covering it's rear in the name of political correctness run amok while your daughter (I have two, I know how protective we fathers are) has to take the brunt of this leftist nonsense. I hope our people start to demand of our President that this must stop. This is NOT the United States of Arabia, it is the United States of America. If the other girl won't stand for the pledge, send her of to the local mosque to learn (to hate). I'm sure they will like her there. Please tell your daughter, and know yourself, there are many who stand with you on this. Where is the MSM now????
"That thing on her head" is the Mohammedan slave rag for females.
Whether it takes its most innocent-seeming form (a plain headscarf, but usually tied so as to conceal every wisp of hair), or whether it takes its most extreme and intimidating form ( the hefty bag/ ninja outfit/ shroud/ ghost costume, otherwise known as abaya, chador, burqa & niqab) it designates the female as a member of the Mohammedan Mob, or Ummah; it denotes her complete subjection to the Mohammedan male. Indeed it marks her as a Bride of Death, for it says: 'any Mohammedan male who so chooses, may kill me as and when he pleases'.
Very often - whatever its form - the Slave Rag is worn under compulsion rather than by 'free' choice; the females in most Mohammedan countries *have* to wear it, or they may be subjected to violence by the males of their own family or even just strangers in the street, in a spectrum ranging from verbal abuse through to rape and murder. This may be the case even within Mohammedan colonies in non-Muslim countries - e.g. France. Aqsa Pervez was murdered by her Muslim father, in Canada, partly because of her refusal to wear hijab.
Societies that respect women as free agents, as subjects rather than as objects, and that honor the sanctity of every human life, have every right to be horrified by the sight of the Mohammedan Slave Rag on a Mohammedan female; as horrified as we would be, if we saw a man leading a woman by a leash attached to a collar round her neck, as if she were a dog.
When White racism is the foundation of Multicultural Dogma, one has no choice but to make it so. No matter what the truth may be.
Pigeon holed to a fringe. Cast from the norms of Group think in denial.
Imagine any Muslim country where the Muslim officials would suspend a Muslim girl for criticizing a Christian girl. The asymmetrical disparity is infuriating, outrageous... and all too common.
Remember how India and Pakistan separated?
Remember why Cyprus has border between East and West?
Remember why Souther Thailand is in constant treat from terrorists?
Remember why Mindanao in Philippines is still the poorest?
Remember why aviation regulations were changed?
Remember why our bank systems are very strict?
Remember why we need to change our Passports to e-passports?
Remember why we need thumb reading and irish-scan on airports?
All because of ISLAMIC TERRORISM! They want to dominate! They want their allah to rule over us!
They simply want it no matter what could be the cost!